RAAF base could stand in as second Sydney airport 10 May 2013

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-05-10/seco...-closer/4680846

"The Federal Government has flagged using a RAAF base in Sydney's west as a possible temporary site for a second airport in the city.

Transport and Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese says Sydney needs a second airport sooner rather than later, and he is investigating opening up the Richmond RAAF base to civilians in the meantime.

The base could cater for 5 million passengers a year.

The announcement came as Mr Albanese released a technical study investigating the suitability of Wilton, in Sydney's south-west, as an eventual site for a second airport.

The study found a second airport at Wilton was possible, but would involve substantial environmental and engineering challenges and would not be ready for many years.

There is also concern about the impact of mining-related subsidence at the site.

Read the full report:

http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/aviation/..._operations.pdf

Mr Albanese says another site that has long been mooted, at Badgery's Creek in Sydney's west, has advantages, but any decision should be backed by both sides of politics.

"Badgery's Creek has been identified in terms of the advantages it has in terms of the fact that the land is already purchased, in terms of jobs, in terms of being closer to the market it has been identified for," he said.

The Coalition will not make a decision until Sydney's Kingsford Smith Airport publishes its updated master plan later this year, according to Federal Opposition transport spokesman Warren Truss.

"These issues aren't simple," Mr Albanese said.

"If they were simple, they would've been resolved earlier. What it needs is to get all the facts on the table.

"That's what I'm doing, in terms of the report, and the joint study between the New South Wales and Federal Government."

Christopher Brown, who was part of the joint government panel examining a second airport, says using Richmond would not remove the need for a new site.

"Sydney needs an expanded Mascot, it needs a newly-built Badgery's Creek, and it probably needs Richmond to take up the slack in the meantime," he said.

Wollondilly Shire mayor Col Mitchell says any government would be mad to build an airport at Wilton.

He believes the report contains no new information.

"Any government now that decides after all those facts have come out to build it at Wilton just because it's politically nice or acceptable has got to be crazy," Mr Mitchell said.

Tourism and Transport Forum chief executive Trent Zimmerman believes Badgerys Creek should still be the preferred choice for a second airport and Richmond is a temporary measure at best.

"Richmond can be used, but at the end of the day it's still a military base," he said.

"The needs of the RAAF will always come first. It's a serious constraint for example on Newcastle Airport, and it's a stopgap solution, not a permanent solution."

Speaking at an event in Sydney, Virgin airlines owner Sir Richard Branson said a lack of airport capacity could limit the city's ability to compete in the global economy.

But he refused to be drawn into the long-running debate, saying there was no immediate need for his airline to expand its Sydney services.

"I think we do an awful lot of services to and from Sydney, whether it's Virgin Atlantic or Virgin Australia, so I think Australia is pretty well-served by Virgin," he said."

This post has been edited by Luig on May 11 2013, 10:01 AM